Religion
Chapter 61
Translated by James Legge (1891) · From The Tao Teh King (1891)
What makes a great state is its being (like) a low-lying, down-flowing (stream);--it becomes the centre to which tend (all the small states) under heaven.
(To illustrate from) the case of all females:--the female always overcomes the male by her stillness. Stillness may be considered (a sort of) abasement.
Thus it is that a great state, by condescending to small states, gains them for itself; and that small states, by abasing themselves to a great state, win it over to them. In the one case the abasement leads to gaining adherents, in the other case to procuring favour.
The great state only wishes to unite men together and nourish them; a small state only wishes to be received by, and to serve, the other. Each gets what it desires, but the great state must learn to abase itself.
This translation is printed as prose in its source edition.
Codex Note
Prose translation of a largely rhymed original, with occasional rhymed renderings by Legge; words in parentheses are his supplied additions.
Cite this poem
MLA
Laozi (Lao Tzu). “Chapter 61.” Translated by James Legge. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/laozi/60/.
Chicago
Laozi (Lao Tzu). “Chapter 61.” Translated by James Legge. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/laozi/60/.
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